According to 2018 data, more than 9 million adults in the United States have a co-occurring disorder, also known as a dual diagnosis. A dual diagnosis is alarmingly common in rehab centers across the country and in California.
If you don’t know what co-occurring disorder is, that’s not surprising – many people with this condition don’t know about it either. Addiction treatment usually entails the diagnosing of co-occurring disorders to effectively address all issues outside of the main, including alcohol, drug, and other problems.
Today, we’ll clear this issue up, starting with a quick definition before we explore the best options for dual diagnosis treatment in Orange County.
What is Co-Occurring Disorder?
If you meet the criteria for substance use disorder and you simultaneously suffer from a mental health condition, this is termed co-occurring psychiatric conditions or a dual diagnosis. Both terms are completely interchangeable.
Co-occurring disorder means the same as dual diagnosis, then, but co-morbidity is a more general term applied to someone experiencing more than one simultaneous illness.
In the case of dual diagnosis, you might be addicted to alcohol, illegal drugs like heroin and cocaine, or prescription painkillers.
Common mental health conditions that co-occur include:
- Depression
- Anxiety disorder
- Panic disorder
- PTSD
- Bipolar
- Schizophrenia
In the case of dual diagnosis, either the mental health condition or the substance use disorder can develop first.
Dual diagnosis comes in many forms, and with a great variation in symptoms.
Unpacking co-occurring disorder might be tricky, but it’s perfectly possible to get dual diagnosis treatment right here in Orange County. If you’re afflicted by either a mental illness or an addiction to drink or drugs, there’s no reason to let either of these issues rule your life.
How, then, do you know if you have a co-occurring disorder?
Do You Have a Co-Occurring Disorder?
Do you find yourself routinely using drinks or drugs when you’re unhappy?
Have you been grappling with turbulent emotional issues for some time without ever engaging in therapy?
Anyone answering yes to each question above could have an undiagnosed dual diagnosis.
Life contains stressors. When you find yourself relying on substances to mask emotions, though, you’re doing yourself a disservice. Firstly, drinking or using drugs offers nothing but the most fleeting respite, essentially a brief period when you forget your problems while intoxicated. Beyond this, substance abuse does nothing to solve the underlying problem. Things get worse with co-occurring disorders. Your substance abuse will inflame the symptoms of your mental health condition. This could lead you in turn to taking more substances in a vain attempt to cope.
Don’t be afraid to seek medical help. Your doctor can establish whether you have depression, anxiety, PTSD, or any other mental health condition.
Assuming you have co-occurring disorder, we’ll glimpse next at what you can expect from dual diagnosis drug rehab.
What to Expect from Dual Diagnosis Treatment
With so many variables in terms of substance use disorders, alcohol addictions, and co-occurring disorders, there is no one-size-fits-all approach to dual diagnosis treatment in Orange County.
You’ll need a skilled physician to pin down the specifics of your co-occurring disorder, but we can give you a rough idea of what to expect if you seek professional help for dual diagnosis treatment or substance abuse treatment.
Before anything, you’ll need to detox from alcohol or drugs. Detox can be medically-assisted in an inpatient setting, or you could detox in a social setting, either at home or in another suitable environment.
While it may seem like climbing a mountain at the time, you should be clear that detox represents only the very first step on an ongoing recovery journey. Recovery is a process rather than an event.
Once diagnosed, therapy is crucial to treating dual diagnosis.
- Common therapies and treatment options proven effective include:
- CBT (cognitive behavioral therapy)
- DBT (dialectical behavior therapy)
- Family therapy
- Exposure therapy
Being diagnosed should not be a cause for concern. On the contrary, you should view this in a positive light. Now you know what you’re dealing with, you’ll be better placed to address the underlying causes rather than continuing with substance abuse. With plenty of dual diagnosis treatment centers in Orange County, you’ll have no problem getting help. And getting help is crucial…
Why It’s Vital to Acknowledge Co-Occurring Disorder
If you allow a mental health condition to go undetected and undiagnosed, you may not get the appropriate treatment for your substance use disorder.
Never feel like it’s not worth speaking with your doctor about co-occurring disorders. If you feel your mental health is suffering, there is always help on hand. All you need to do is ask.
Which Comes First, The Substance Abuse or The Mental Health Condition?
This is not always clear.
Sometimes, the sustained use of some substances can trigger mental health conditions in otherwise healthy individuals. The most common examples known are marijuana drug abuse, known to trigger schizophrenia previously laid latent.
What counts is getting an accurate diagnosis. You’re more likely to be treatment-resistant when it comes to substance use disorder if you have an undiagnosed mental health disorder.
Unfortunately, diagnosing the co-occurring disorders is not always straightforward. Someone with bipolar and substance use disorder may be stable and in remission then find a manic episode is triggered by a meth binge. While it can take time and needs some finesse, accurate diagnosis is crucial to tailor the optimum treatment plan for dual diagnosis.
Dual Diagnosis Treatment
There is regrettably little research on the co-occurring disorders.
There is one notable model of dual diagnosis treatment pioneered by Dr. Kenneth Minkoff, Harvard University’s clinical Assistant Professor of Psychiatry. The CCISC (Comprehensive Continuous Integrated System of Care) aims to streamline the process of diagnosing and treating co-occurring disorders. The model tries to integrate substance use disorder treatment and psychiatric treatment more smoothly to better treat both issues at the same time.
What can you do if you need dual diagnosis rehab now?
Dual Diagnosis Treatment Program at The District Recovery Community
Do you feel you could have a co-occurring disorder? If so, it’s vital to seek treatment immediately. Neither problem will improve untreated, and both are liable to get much worse, with one issue feeding off the other.
Reach out to the friendly team at The District Recovery Community and you’ll get an accurate assessment and diagnosis. If you have a mental health disorder layered on top of an addiction to drink or drugs, you can treat both issues. They need special attention, though, and that’s where our dual diagnosis treatment program excels.
It’s perfectly possible to stay sober while successfully and sustainably addressing a mental health condition. You just need the right guidance and laser-focused recovery process. We’re here to provide that for you. All that’s left is for you to call 844.287.8506.
